Aerial photo taken on Oct. 26, 2019 shows tourists riding camels to enjoy the desert scenery at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

The tourism economy in Xinjiang sees a giant leap in the first three quarters this year.

YULI, Oct. 28, 2019 (Xinhua) -- In the first three quarters of this year, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region received over 183.85 million tourists from home and abroad with a year-on-year increase of 40.9 percent.

The regional culture and tourism bureau said tourism revenue in the three quarters reached 304.64 billion yuan (42.62 billion U.S. dollars), 40.8 percent up from the same period last year.

The region vowed to build Xinjiang into a popular destination for tourists from home and abroad. The number of tourists to Xinjiang exceeded 150 million last year, up 40.1 percent.

Photo taken on Oct. 26, 2019 shows tourists riding camels to enjoy the desert scenery at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Tourists take a boat at Lop Nur in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 26, 2019 shows the scenery of Shennyu Lake scenic spot at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 26, 2019 shows the scenery of Shennyu Lake scenic spot at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Tourists riding camels take photos beside the Shennyu Lake at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Photo taken on Oct. 25, 2019 shows the sunset scenery of Lop Nur in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Tourists ride camels to enjoy the desert scenery at Lop Nur People Village in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)